Fleas often gather at the neck and shoulder blades of your pets. The base of the tail and along the back of the legs is a favorite hangout for them, too. Those are also places animals will bite to get to the fleas. That can take its toll on a pet's coat.
In your yard and in wildlife, fleas live in high grass, sand, sheds and debris – places where they can find shade and humidity. These areas, such as the grass underneath a shrub, provide the perfect conditions for all three stages of the flea's life cycle.
During daylight hours, House Flies will rest on floors, walls, and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, on the ground, on fence wires, garbage cans, and other similar surfaces. At night, they will rest principally on ceilings, electric wires, and dangling light cords indoors.
While fleas may be found anywhere in the country, they are found in greater numbers in areas where higher humidity levels and warmer temperatures exist. This is why you will see a major flea problem in Florida even in the winter, while in Chicago they become less active for a few months of the year.
If you think you have a flea problem around your garbage can or any outdoor area, here are some things to watch out for that could be attracting fleas: Warmth: Fleas are attracted to warm areas, so garbage cans, debris and mulch piles, or other areas that retain heat because of decomposition can be appealing to them.
In other words, light and heat. When placed in a dark area, studies have found that as many as 93% of fleas will move to a lighted area within 40 minutes. Green-yellow coloured lights have also been found to attract over twice as many fleas compared to standard light.
During the day, fleas avoid the sun so they are most active at sunset and least active at sunrise. At dusk, the pests would lay more eggs, respire more, and move around in the yard more. Although the fleas are not completely inactive at any time of the day, they have increased activity at dusk and night.
Summer is one of the most active times for fleas and ticks, with some of the worst season being fall, in September, October, and November. Research has shown that the number of fleas on cats and dogs is 70% in the fall when compared to the spring season.
I've Got Fleas – Won't They Just Go Away? Unfortunately, no, they won't. Most fleas can live for between two and three weeks on a host organism, but some flea eggs can survive unhatched for up to an entire year. So even if the fleas you have are dying off, there will be plenty of eggs left to replace them.
Use a lamp to attract fleas.
The fleas will be attracted to the light and warmth, and when they jump toward the light, they'll land in the trap below. Use an incandescent or other heat-producing bulb for your trap to attract the most fleas possible.
Run a flea comb through your pet and see if you can catch fleas in it. Step 2: Check Carpets and Rugs Carefully check your carpeting and rugs. Fleas are so small that they often can get away with hiding deep into carpeting. Fleas also like to lay eggs in carpets and this is also where flea larvae is often discovered.
Depending on your dog's coat length and color fleas can be hard to find with the naked eye. Darker, thicker fur can make finding fleas on your dog tricky. And because they move quickly and jump around they're not always easy to spot.
The mixture of the warm water of your washing machine and the detergents that you use should be enough to kill most of the fleas and eggs that have taken up residence in your laundry.
Flea season can last anywhere from 6-9 months to all year round in some states. Fleas love warm temperatures, so your season can start early in spring and last until September, October, or November.
Fleas may also nest in carpets, rugs, pet beds, or upholstered furniture where they can stay warm. Fleas and bedbugs are considered nocturnal creatures, which means they are mainly active at night. However, they can bite you at any time of the day or night. Fleas are most active at dusk and least active at sunrise.
At What Temperature and How Quickly Do Fleas Die? Adult fleas die at temperatures colder than 46.4°F (8°C) and hotter than 95°F (35°C).
Air conditioning and humidifiers: Fleas can only survive in temperatures of 32°C to 70°C and do not survive within 50% humidity. Changing the environment in which fleas live can lead to solving the flea infestation.
Fleas need at least 50 percent humidity to survive. One method to kill fleas naturally is to use dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the area. If you can keep the average room humidity down around 50 percent for at least two days or more, you'll kill most of the adults, pupa, and larva.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day. Optimum conditions for flea larvae are 65-80 ºF with shaded areas and high humidity.
When it has a host, an adult flea can live about 100 days. But how long can they live without a host? Those fleas typically live only one to two weeks. The entire lifespan of a flea, from egg to adulthood, can last a few weeks or even a few months.
Fleas are not attracted to some people, but other people are highly susceptible. Additionally, some people in flea-infested households may experience severe irritation from flea bites while others show no signs. Fleas bite people most often on the legs and ankles.
In Summary
The myth of fleas only being attracted to dirty places is just that, a myth. Fleas want a warm-blooded creature to feed on and don't care if the environment is clean or dirty.
The light attracts the fleas, causing them to jump and land in the water. Adult fleas are positively phototactic, meaning they're attracted to sources of light. Adding a few drops of dish soap to the water reduces the surface tension. As a result, the fleas sink and drown.
Fleas Prefer Areas That are Shady, Moist, and Humid
The truth is, most pets become infested with fleas when roaming outside. There is mixed information in terms of whether fleas live in the grass, but most researchers agree that fleas do prefer outdoor areas that are shady, moist, and humid.